Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Slightly aroused from my sleep (at about 5 am) I heard what I thought were my tortoises mewing. They do this when they have mock sex (both are males). Then I heard Jake make his way to the shower and the water come on. My arm didn't really ache so I drifted back to sleep.

About an hour later I heard Jake turn off the shower and the same mewing could be heard but it was closer and louder...it was not my torts...I fought with my robe and did the potty thing and then followed the noise. It sounded like the carport area. Being it was still dark out I started flipping on lights. I couldn't see anything, so of course, so I open the door and a kitten runs in! He's mewing, I'm saying, "no, no, I can't have kittens, go away...go home."

He didn't and while I was trying to scoot him out, Langdon came to see what all the commotion was about and thankfully assisted me, pushing the little guy out the door. Then we headed back to bed, it is his day off. The kitten kept mewing, and mewing, and mewing!

Jake came down and heard it, opened the door and brought it in. I growled from my bed that he was to put him outside. We can't have a kitten! He did.

When hubby and I finally got up the little guy was still going strong. Now he was watching us through the windows and kept trying to get in. He got in between the screen door and door and climbed it to the top all the time screaming louder and louder.

We're captiives in our own house because of a five or six week old screaming kitten! When I started back up here I didn't hear anything. Then I looked out the back porch and he's curled up in a sunny spot around one of my potted bonsai trees.

I called a friend who is a cat saver...maybe she will be able to help me.

As I've mentioned earlier, my son is in China on a business trip. The following is a copy of his email, I joyously opened this morning...I'm still laughing!

Hey Mom,

I thought I would email you while I am pooping in China, I know how much you use to love it when I announced I was going poop and now I actually understand because Nathan and Boaz have a similar presentation when they go as well and it drives me crazy (in a fun sort of way).

But enough about them back to my pooper, my toilet has a built in bidet here are some of the feature:-seat warmer-heated water with temp. control-two types of spray 1. is more of sprister, and the other is a pressure washer (i use both it takes both to be really clean)-a blow dryer with temp control to dry the dirty eye Anyway this email sounds like I am drunk but I am not just missed you and thought I would send you a silly email. You should forward it to Melissa she loves potty humor.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Now I ask you, do I deserve a torn rotator cuff? Pain? Dependency on others to go to my physical therapy appointments? Evidently the answer to that question is YES!

My attempts at dealing with the situation vary according to how tired I am. Last night I was very tired...I had woke up in pain, taken a pain pill, had some coffee, and called the physical therapist to make an appointment...Di had left the days and times she would be available to drive me...having been up most of the night before, she wasn't very pleased when I told her she only had two more hours to sleep...oh well, she'll adjust.

She was up and ready in time to go and by the time we had driven to town was appreciating the beauty of the vine maples in their golden glory. The only thing she worried about was that she didn't know the business, or the people, being it was new. You see, she was tired and wanted to lay down and having lived here most of her life she was used to knowing the business owners by name and has never really thought twice about making herself comfortable.

Of course we had a slew of papers to fill out and being right handed (sore side) it was painful for me to fill out the paperwork so she did it for me. As she answered the questions, she came to "how did this injury occur?"...she says KEG DIVING! The receptionist chuckled. I tried to slap her but couldn't lift my arm to do so, so chuckled as well and we continued to fill out the paper work.

The patient before me was finished and I was called into the exam room. The therapist sat me down and started going through the paperwork...he says (without facial expression) I see this started when you were keg diving, just a hint of a smile was visible because he was loosing it and wouldn't look at me. I burst into laughter and explained my daughter had filled out the forms for me and we were testing him. Up until a few years ago, I didn't even know what a keg dive was! He took it well, passed the test, and I think, no I know, he will be good for me.

By the time we returned to the first room, Di was chatting with the receptionist and came over to the table I was attempting to get up on for the ultra sound. Next to that table was a huge platform like thing which Di basically threw herself on and sprawled while I had my treatment.The treatment was to stimulte the muscles and loosen things up in there so better circulation was possible.

Whatever it did, it left me exhauted and cranky as evening approached. I tried to be pleasant. My husband said I wasn't bad...I did end up getting stuck in my clothing and had to seek assistance in getting undressed and in bed...that was torture! I fell asleep with tears streaming down my face.

I woke up very early this morning and the pain was there but not as intense, so I took a pain pill, drank some coffee and came up here to update you all.

Now I have a co-worker, Johnni, coming to spend a few hours with me, so I need to go, take my meds, put on some clothes and a smile...have a great day!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Because of the temperature fluctuations for the past two or three weeks and everything that has gone whacko with me, I really didn't think the ache in my shoulder was anything more than stiff joints or sleeping on it wrong.

I have now suffered enough and am heading into the doctor's to see what the heck is going on with it and how to treat/deal with it.

Embarrassingly enough I was sitting on the "potty" and of course noticed the paper roll was empty...instead of getting up (because I'm now a clumsy clod) I reached behind to grab a fresh roll from the basket I keep on the tank.

AAAAAARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! When I finally caught my breathe and was able to right myself, I gimped my way to the sink to wash my hands when I tried to turn the water the pain was awful...I resorted to hand sanitizer...I don't like pain.

I immediately took some Ibuprofen, grabbed the heating pad, and hit the couch. Now, please remember that I am right handed, have used a cane for balance since my brain surgery, and had a house full of guests.

Anyway, as time goes by, I try to manage my chores...dishes, laundry, this blog, e-mail, thank you cards, watering...I'm thinking I did pretty good...and then for no apparent reason the *%^%%* shoulder is killing me again! Soooooooooooo...I now have a 1:15 appointment to try to find out what the heck is going on...I'll let you know when I get back.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Great, great, great! Blogger is down...why? I don't know, there isn't an explanation. What I do know is it's taken me all morning to warm up and then I needed nourishment and when I finally (FINALLY) got back up here to sit and prepare an update post, I can't. CRAPITIOLA!!

I was going to tell you what I've been up to lately...

Let's go back to the beginning of October when the car died...dear hubby's car bit the dust on the way to work one morning...don't worry, he called a friend and was saved in time for work...how he called is left to the imagination because we no longer have a cell phone...I don't want to hear any comments pro or con; we decided a while ago that it was a stupid expense we could live without and did, and if I have anything to do with it will continue to live without!

After searching the Internet for a car, which was affordable and appealing to dear hubby; I asked where we were in solving the problem...the man drives over 100 miles every day! He tells me his choices; none new, probably not far from being undependable, one a "babe magnet". My response was to call my son, he had recently purchased a new car and helped Di when she purchased her new car. A friend of his was a manager of a dealership that not only won awards for their sales BUT actually treated people fairly and didn't push...they were big on customer service...something lacking today in my opinion.

Dear hubby works 4-10 hour shifts. Wednesday is his only day off where we can fit doctor's appointments, run errands etc. (He also has the weekends off) which normally would satisfy us as an alternative time to get things done.

This time, we had less than a week to buy a new car, pack his suitcase for an eleven day trip to Amsterdam (he had decided to go on when I was still in Las Vegas) and get him to the airport on time.

He called. My son called back. Hubby called the dealership and did a phone credit check (to be worked on while he drove the 35 miles to sign the papers and choose a car. He said he was not only treated like royalty but they had three cars waiting for him to test drive...he drove one home! Whew!! A whirlwind of a day! (I had stayed home and did laundry and packed. Problem solved!

Sunday dear hubby calls his son and finds out that he can't be out here until Saturday, which is fine by me BUT he was under the impression that it would be soon enough to get him to the airport on Tuesday. After some quick thinking and trying to find one of my proverbial lists I said I'd find someone off my "call me if you need anything list".

Sure enough, one call was all it took....my friend Alice came to the rescue...problem solved. Thanks Alice!! So we continue to ready him for his trip, check everything twice, and Tuesday morning we're off to the airport where we left him curbside and drove off. Alice and I did errands in town on the way home and I had a great visit with her!

Meanwhile my Dad was flying into Las Vegas to have a short visit, grab Mel and drive up here to be with me while I was "alone". They left Thursday morning and were here early Friday evening...just in time to join half a dozen or more of my "collected" kids, who also didn't want me to "alone". My Uncle drove down from Seattle as well. We were running out of beds! Super son and daughter in law to the rescue-AGAIN! They brought a trailer up and problem solved! Keith (hubby's son) arrived on Saturday and joined the melee that ensued.

Saturday evening we had probably fifteen or more people for dinner. (geez! I wrote that wrong! we are not cannibals!) My son was about to leave for weeks on a business trip to China, so he and the family were able to join us as well as deliver the trailer. He had recruited his sister to take the three kids home/here with her so he and his wife could have a date before China. The drive way was a parking lot...the house hot and loud...smiles, laughter, tears of joy and excitement, lot's of wine and very travel weary people.

This is how it stayed for the next ten days! So much fun and joy! My Dad, uncle, Mel and I worked on my grandfather's slides by the thousands. This was something I really wanted to do and was very worried it wouldn't get done before I did and would end up in the burn pile. Mel and I viewed the slides, chose what to scan; dad and uncle scanned and categorized on my computer, and the slides are now with Mel in Vegas. Thanks to their hard work and persistence I will now attempt to make cd's for my brother's and nephews, as well as my grand kids.

Saying good bye to them all was difficult...bitter sweet...I cried...I hugged...I sniffed heads...I tried to smile, I really did! The reality of saying "goodbye" is so real now that it bites!

The house was without guests Monday...Jake and Di were here, but sleeping...I fell asleep on the couch, where they left me to wake on my own about 5pm...guess I was tired, slept over two hours, so I must have been tired!

My co-worker from the library, and friend, Johnni came to visit for a few hours Tuesday morning...love it, she brings goodies and somehow knows what I'll be in the mood for...not sure how she does it! We had a nice visit, at least I thought it was nice...she asked if she could come every Tuesday, a sure sign of enjoying herself.

I tried to get this done yesterday but found my self too tired...so there you have it, a condensed version of the past few weeks!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

This is how my life has changed since March...I'm not complaining, just stating fact.Diagnosed with brain tumors, not one or two, but seven! One was incredibly large and aggressive and thanks to a remarkable surgeon, to whom I'll forever be grateful to, was successfully removed.

Because I am fortunate enough to have an incredible support system, many with medical backgrounds, I was kicked out of the hospital early because they had a few reported cases of staph and MSR floating around. (Thank you again dear surgeon!)

I was surrounded 24/7 with family and friends, to which I am also forever grateful to. As I recovered from the brain surgery I experienced what is called a steriodal rage at the same time my husband was experiecing a meltdown from finding out his wife was terminally ill.

I was so angry that I demanded my Monster Child(Di)and her wonderful friend, Megan, helped me pack their cars with random keepsakes and daily necsseties and drive me 20+/- miles at two in the morning to my son's house. I knew he and his family were gone for a few days, and that the girls would take turns being my #&^tches and if the house was locked we could stay in the trailer and I would call Mel, and she would just have to come back and help.

This was when it hit me...I was suddenly dependent on my husband, who was not ready or willing to deal with all this, my children, grand children, and friends and neighbors...whew!

Mel was there within 48 hours with Kimberly in tow, eager to be helpful. She of course had researched the internet after the diagnosis and was quite knowledgeable in the signs & symptoms...the kid is an incredible researcher!

Post note: I wrote this several weeks ago and today am not sure where I was going with it except I am so grateful to my family and friends! Let's just leave it at that and I can start a new post later today when my fingers aren't on the verge of freezing.

Clay Pots

About Me

I am 52 years old. I've been a mother since I was sixteen. A grandmother since 30-something. I live in a log house, ten miles outside a small town nestled in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades. I work hard at trying to decrease my carbon imprint on this world, while also working hard to leave my soul imprint.